The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has challenged the portrayal of Operation Blackout as an FBI-led exercise in Ghana, affirming that Ghanaian authorities conceived, coordinated and executed the operation with support from several domestic and international agencies.
The Authority’s clarification follows an X post by FBI Director Kash Patel and subsequent remarks by Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George disputing the impression that the United States bureau independently conducted the crackdown.
In a press release, the CSA explained that Operation Blackout, also referred to as Operation Cyber Hunt, was conducted under Ghana’s legal and institutional framework. The exercise brought together the National Security Council, Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, FBI, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria and other Ghanaian institutions.
“Ghanaian authorities planned, coordinated and executed the operation within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks, and it thus cannot be said to be conceived as part of an FBI-led global programme, neither was it conducted under a foreign operational command.”
Cyber Security Authority
Referring to the legal basis for the exercise, the CSA noted that Ghana’s sovereignty places responsibility for law enforcement within its jurisdiction on Ghanaian institutions. Foreign agencies, it explained, “cannot independently exercise police powers or make arrests” in Ghana without lawful cooperation, authorisation and involvement from the appropriate Ghanaian authorities.
Consequently, the CSA acknowledged the intelligence contributions of both the FBI and the NCA, recognising their importance to investigations involving cybercrime networks that operate across national boundaries. The Authority nevertheless called for those contributions to be represented within the context of the Ghanaian institutions that organised and carried out the operation.
The clarification mirrors concerns previously raised by the Communications Minister, who cautioned that portraying the exercise as solely an FBI operation could affect future cooperation between Ghana and its international partners. Honourable Nartey has also identified the fight against cybercrime as inherently transnational, requiring coordinated action between jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, the CSA has invited the FBI to clarify its public account and recognise the respective roles of all agencies involved. The Authority framed the request as an effort to preserve constructive relations while ensuring that public communication does not distort the contribution of participating institutions.
On the question of international cooperation, the CSA made clear that its objection does not amount to a rejection of foreign assistance. Instead, the Authority positioned accurate attribution and mutual respect as necessary foundations for continued collaboration against sophisticated cybercrime networks.
The Authority further noted that the operation remains part of Ghana’s wider effort to dismantle cybercriminal networks and protect the public from online fraud. It pledged to deepen intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency coordination, digital forensic capabilities and international partnerships as the country intensifies its response to cyber-enabled crime.
Cyber Hunt Uncovers Scam Centres Across Greater Accra
Operation Cyber Hunt has uncovered suspected cybercrime centres at several locations in the Greater Accra Region, resulting in the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people believed to have been trafficked and exploited for online fraud activities.
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) disclosed the details as part of its account of the operation, which it says was driven by intelligence received in August.
The operation followed intelligence received on August 26, 2026, concerning apartments allegedly being used as bases for organised cybercrime activities, including romance scams. The locations identified by the Cyber Security Authority included Ubuntu Haven Estate in Kpone Katamanso, Franko Estate in Ga North and other sites within Ga West.
Tracing the intelligence through the identified locations enabled authorities to uncover what the CSA described as suspected cybercrime centres.
The exercise subsequently led to the arrest of eight suspects, while a separate group of 120 individuals was rescued after authorities suspected they had been trafficked and exploited in connection with online fraud activities.
“Authorities are working to repatriate the rescued victims, identified largely as Nigerians, whilst investigations into the suspects and the seized digital devices are ongoing.”
Cyber Security Authority
Turning to the material recovered during the operation, investigators seized 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops and several internet connection devices. Four motor vehicles were also taken into custody, including one vehicle identified as having been stolen from Canada.
The search teams additionally recovered jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports, adding further evidence for investigators examining the activities conducted at the suspected centres. The seized digital equipment is expected to form part of the continuing forensic examination as authorities trace the networks and activities connected to the investigation.
The operation’s intelligence-led character distinguishes it from a routine enforcement exercise, with information gathered before the raids directing authorities towards specific locations. The CSA’s account also places the investigation within a wider multi-agency framework involving Ghanaian security institutions and international partners.
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